Forest Fire Caused by Burning Trash at Seondeok Yeowang Tomb... Man in His 50s Sentenced to Prison

Daegu District Court Sentences 2 Years Imprisonment Under Cultural Heritage Protection Act

A man in his 50s who burned trash next to the Hoseok stone at the tomb of Queen Seondeok and performed a ritual with incense and candles beside the grave, causing a forest fire, was sentenced to prison.

On the 18th, the Criminal Division 12 of Daegu District Court (Chief Judge Eo Jae-won) announced that it sentenced Mr. A (53), who was indicted for violating the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, to two years in prison. Mr. A was prosecuted for damaging the utility of the royal tomb by leaving trash next to the Hoseok stone (護石, a stone wall surrounding a tomb or burial mound) at Queen Seondeok’s tomb in Baeban-dong, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, and setting it on fire with a lighter at around 9:45 a.m. on February 20 of last year.

Queen Seondeok’s tomb, designated as Historic Site No. 182, is a nationally designated cultural heritage protected under the Cultural Heritage Protection Act. Queen Seondeok (reigned 632?647) was the first queen of Silla and the 27th monarch of Silla.

Additionally, on March 2 of the same year, about ten days later, at around 6:30 a.m., Mr. A performed a ritual praying for health by lighting incense and candles next to a grave in Inwang-dong, Gyeongju, which resulted in burning approximately 0.1 hectares of forest. Despite having a duty of care to prevent the fire from spreading, he failed to properly manage the flames from the incense and candles, causing the fire to spread to nearby newspapers and leaves due to negligence.

Acts that damage cultural heritage are punishable under the Cultural Heritage Protection Act. Article 92 of the Act stipulates that anyone who damages, steals, conceals, or otherwise harms the utility of nationally designated cultural heritage shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three years. Furthermore, Article 99 states that anyone who alters the condition of designated cultural heritage or its area, or conducts acts that may affect its preservation, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

The court pointed out, "The defendant has a prior record of similar arson crimes and general arson of buildings, yet continues to commit offenses repeatedly despite having no fixed residence or family to protect him." Regarding the sentencing, the court explained, "Considering the need for punishment commensurate with the guilt to protect the property and safety of ordinary citizens, among other factors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.